Laminated metal wheel-spoke.



J. R. WELCH. LAMINATED METAL WHEEL SPOKE.

Patented Sept. 29, 1908.

APPLICATION FILED DEO. 19, 1906.

INVENTOR:

WITNESSES:

je. WM,

AWORNEK tion .of'tumed vover an( 'UNITED STATES; 'infringir cerros JOHN R. WELCH, OFl ALEXANDRIA, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,'TO THE AMERICAN STEEL WHEEL COMPANY, OF ALEXANDRIA, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

LAMINATED METAL WBIEEL-SPOKE.

' Specication of Letters Patent.'

Patented Sept. 29, 1908.

Application led December 19, 1906. Serial No. 348,538.

To all whemt may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN'R. WELCH, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Alexandrine/.in the# county of Madison and State of Indiana, have inventedcertain new and useful Im rovements* linl Laminated Metal Wheel-f okes and I do declare-the followin to .be-az. ull, clear, and exact deseriptiono' the invention, reference being had tothe ac` larly to the=laminated main body part and the hub end of a s oke.

The object of t 1e invention is to provide a very-strong spoke Whichmay'be built up of suehzthin metal aswill ermit of the yforma-` i)lapped hook seams lon ftudinally'r of the spokes.

ith the above-mentioned and minor ob- 'ects in viewy the invention consists in a holowimetal spoke comprising `a laminatedv main bodypart and spoke end, and a separate :tenon end attached to the body part for ccnnectionwiththe wheel felly; and, the inventioneonsists further4 in the novel partsandcombinations and arrangements of parts as.y hereinafter particularly described and` claimed.

Referring to the drawings FigureV 1 isy an elevation of a wheel having the improved spoke embodied therein ;.Fig. 2 a fragmentary longitudinal sectional .view showing the tene.` -nd connected to the wheel felly, the latter` being in cross-section and a .portion of the main body }E)`art of Athe spoke attached to the tenon end; ig. 3, av transverse vsectional view of the spoke on the line A -A in Fig.y 2; Fig'. 4, a transverse sectionalview of thespoke on the line B vB in Fig. 2 Fig. 5, a fragmentaryl longitudinal sectional view showing a portionA of the main body part and the 'tenon end adapted vto Abe connected to the wheel hub; Fig. 6, a transverse sectional view "of .the

poke on'` the (plane of the line CVC in Fig. 5;.

g. 7, an en view vof the external or shell part ofthe spoke viewed at the end lthatis adapted to connect with the separate tenon hollow sheet g, extending` along the body end; and, Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the internal part of the laminated portion of the spoke. y s

Similar reference charactersin the various iigures of the drawings designate like elev ments or features of construction.

In the drawings a designates a Wheel hub; b, the external part of the laminated main l body part of the spoke; c, the wheel felly and,

d, the tire of the wheel.

In constructing the improved spoke, the external part b of the body part of the spoke is composed of comparatlvely thin sheet metal rolled, so as to be tubular, from a strip r of the. metal, and the two edges of the stri joined together by a suitable form of loe seamthe -exterior of the part b being relatively smooth and the seam metal standing up on the inner side of the part. The spoke com rises a tenon end e formed integral with.

thel ody part b, and adapted to be attached ytothe Wheel hub, the hub end having in- Wardlycurved parts f to clear the hub bolts as usual, said seamof the shell, indicated by 4 art 5 and throughout the length of' the= ub end 1or` tenon end e, the external contour of which is wedge shape,as will be understood. The internal part b is formed of a relatively thin metal strip turned over to t into the body part b, without the edges h and 'iof the part meeting butabutting against opposite sides of the seam g, this internal part having av Wedge shaped tenon part e formed inte ally l' and fitting' into the tenon art e, there eing inwardly curved arts f tting close to the parts f, and the W iole internal part is inserted into and brazedto the external or main.

parts of the integralv main body'partand hub end part. v

The tenon part forr connection with` the lfelly, ,mayl beformed mvarious ways but preferably com rises a single piece which- "may be: either or edor. cast andA having a.

mam body part y', aving an annular projection c fitting into the' internal'part b', of the s oke, and an'external iange lor collar Ztting around the end of the body art b, all being suitably secured together as y brazing and otherwise desired.` yA, tenon projects fromthe main4 part 7' and comprises a cylindrical part m, vand' relatively smaller cylindrical .art n', for insertion into the sockets of the fe y, the sockets usually having thimbles y layer.

ol therein. The periphery of the felly c usually has a band p forming a tread in contact with the ends of the spoke tenons.

It is to be understood that the longitudinal seam g of the external or main parts b and e, may be variously modiiied in construction, but in any case will stand up on the inner side of the spoke, and the internal parts b and e will extend from one side of the seam around the spoke to the opposite side of the seam and be brazed thereto. It is to be understood also that while the laminated portions of the spoke are shown as having two thicknesses or layers of metal, it will be obvious lthat one or more layers may be placed inside of the inner parts, so as to abut against the longitudinal seam.

In assembling the different parts. of the Wheel, the arts n of the tenon ought to be inserted ob iquely into the sockets of the felly which will be continuous, and then While connecting the hub with the s okes, the latter will be forced longitudina ly so that the parts m of the tenon will be forced into the sockets.

In practical use the laminated portions of the spoke will be found to be very stiff, yet notheavy and not liable to become dented in minor accidents, andthe spokes may be removed, if necessary, from the hub and the felly and replaced by new spokes.

I am aware that it is not new to make laminated articles of metal and do not broadly claim such construction, but I am not aware of wheel spokes formed of laminated metal throughout from the tenon end of the felly and the end of the spoke that connects with the hub of the wheel.

Having thus fully described the invention. what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- '1. In a laminated metal wheel spoke, the combination of an outer part with an internal longitudinal joint seam, an inner layer extending from one side of the seam along the outer part to the opposite side of the seam and attached to said'outer part and -the seam thereof, and a tenon end part attached to said outer part and said inner Vjoint seam, and an inner layer extending from one side of the seam along the tubular j part to the opposite side of the seam and atmetal wheel spoke, the I tached to said tubular part and the seam thereof and attached also to said end part, said tubular part being attached also to said end part.

3. In a laminated metal wheel spoke, the combination of a tenon end part, an outer tubular main part with an internal joint seam, and an inner layer extending from one side of the seam along the outer part to the opposite side of the'seam and having the inner side thereof attached to the tenon end part, said inner layer being attached to the said main part and to the seam thereof, and said tenon end part having a collar attached to the outer side of said main part, substantially as set forth.

4. In a laminated metal wheel spoke, the combination of a tenon end part, an outer tubular main part with an internal longitudinal joint seam, and an inner layer extend- 'ing from one side of the seam along the main part to the opposite side of the seam and having the inner side thereof attached to the tenon end part, said'inner layer being attached to the said main part and to the seam thereof.

5. In a laminated metal wheel spoke, the combination of a tenon end part, an outer tubular main part with an internal longitudinal joint seam, and an inner layer extending from one side of the seam along the main part to the opposite side of the seam and joined to the tenon end part, said inner layer being attached to the said main part and to the seam thereof, and said tenon end part having a collar attached to the outer side of said main part.

6. In a laminated metal wheel spoke, the combination of an outer tubular main part and integral wedge-shaped end part with an internal longitudinal joint seam, an inner layer extending from one side of the seam along the main part and continuously along the wedge-shaped end part to the opposite side of the seam, portions of said inner layer being attached to said end part and other portions being attached to said main part, said layer being attached throughout its length to said seam, and a tenon end part attached to said main part and said layer.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN R. WELCH.

Witnesses:

A. A. GALLMAN, J. G.B;RowNMAN. 

